LOS ANGELES, Calif. — A major U.S. newspaper group has sharply criticized former President Donald Trump’s trade policies, calling them a “disaster” that has forced the federal government into expensive bailouts to offset damage caused by tariffs and trade wars.
In an editorial titled “$12 billion payout to farmers is a tariff-based disaster,” the Southern California News Group said a recently announced $12 billion assistance package for American farmers highlights the shortcomings of the Trump administration’s trade approach.
The editorial questioned why such a large payout was necessary if tariffs and trade wars were truly benefiting the U.S. economy. It argued that tariffs function as additional taxes on American consumers, rather than on foreign countries, and ultimately weaken domestic economic performance.
According to the opinion piece, the administration’s tariff strategy was based on outdated assumptions about global trade and ignored the realities of a highly interconnected world economy. The editorial noted that tariffs no longer play a meaningful role in raising federal revenue and instead risk harming consumers and businesses.
The editorial cited warnings from economists that prolonged trade conflicts could slow economic growth, hurt some of the country’s most productive companies, and strain relationships with key international partners.
It also described the $12 billion farmer payout as an unfair attempt to patch over problems created by the government itself, noting that many of the affected crops, including soybeans, had been selling successfully overseas before the trade disputes began.
The editorial added that the relief package would not cover all losses in the already struggling agricultural sector, pointing to estimates from major equipment manufacturers that tariffs could result in hundreds of millions of dollars in added costs in the coming year.
The Southern California News Group publishes 11 daily newspapers across five counties in the greater Los Angeles region and is one of the largest local news organizations in Southern California. (Source: IANS)
